Dumoustier, Etienne

Born in 1520 or 1540 ^[3] . The eldest son of the artist Geoffrey Dumoustier , brother of the artists Pierre and Cosmos II Dumoustier . Probably studied painting with his father and François Clouet . His name appears for the first time in documents for the payment of salaries by the king in 1568. The sum of the salary of 400 livres is almost twice as much as that of François Clouet, despite the youth of the artist. Other documents for royalties to Etienne Dumoustier have been preserved ^[4] .

It is known that in 1569-1570 Etienne, along with his brother Pierre, was sent by Catherine de Medici to Vienna . Here they performed works for the imperial court of Maximilian II . Researchers suggest that Etienne was a confidant of Catherine de Medici in the implementation of diplomatic missions.

He had his own house in Paris, served as valet du chambre , was a court painter of the last kings of the dynasty of Valois and Henry IV of Bourbon . On April 1, 1574, he married Anne Liniere, from whom he had a son, Gilles, who was born in the same year according to the registry of the Church of Saint-Germain-l'Oserua . After the death of his wife, he again married Marie Lesage on January 29, 1585 ^[5] . His son from this marriage, born at the end of 1585 , Pierre II, became a famous artist. Daniel Dumoustier - the most famous in this family, may have been a student of Etienne, who was his uncle. It is known that on August 29, 1603, shortly before his death, Etienne Dumoustier lived in Paris on the Rue Des Quatre Fils. September 27, 1603 he became seriously ill. The artist died on October 23, 1603 . He was buried in the church of Saint-Jean-en-Greve.

Etienne Dumoustier did not experience creative crises, upheavals, during his life he enjoyed respect and material wealth. It is known that he was a major dealer in works of art, owned significant real estate in the capital ^[6] .

It is quite difficult to distinguish the work of Etienne Dumoustier from the work of Brother Pierre (and from the work of the workshop of François Clouet). The brothers were connected by spiritual and creative closeness (which cannot be said about his relationship with his third brother Cosmus II Dumustier) ^[7] . Pierre repeatedly portrayed his brother ^[8] . Double portraits of Pierre and Etienne belong to him ^[9] .

Etienne Dumoustier does not seek to convey the psychology of the hero. The artist deliberately eliminates the manifestation of personal feelings, trying to be as objective as possible in the image of the characters. Portraits of Etienne are rather uniformly compositional (usually a bosom image, a three-quarter turn). Missing background and accessories.

The artist does not flatten the model, does not use external effects. The king and the servant are depicted with the same attention, nobility and simplicity.

Portraits of Etienne Dumoustier are timeless, alien to passions and fleeting movements of the soul, in a clear, calm spirit ^[10] . There is warmth and softness ^[11] .

• Zvereva, Alexandra. Etienne DUMONSTIER (DUMOUSTIER, DUMOÛTIER). (Paris, vers 1540 - Paris, 25 octobre 1603). Le portrait de la Renaissance française.